So Frankly...

Saturday, December 28, 2013

This year marked the 5th anniversary of my gaming group, which is just amazing! While 2012 was kind of rough, 2013 ended up being a great year. Not only did we manage to meet every month (I think), but we added two new couples that are great gamers. As a result, we have a few more "heavy" gamers; the kind of people who like the complicated, longer games, such as Dune. Plus, a couple of them are willing to take one of my games home, learn it, and teach it, which takes some of the pressure off of me. That's fantastic!

The addition of heavy gamers also means that my game shelf has a bit different mix. Before, I was largely trying to keep my collection mostly casual games that clocked in at no more than two hours. Now, I have a few more games that are longer and more complex. Or maybe I should say I am keeping a few more long, complex games.

In 2013, we played 21 different titles. Quite a few of them were new titles, including games that I have owned for years and never managed to get to the table. Some of them were not really suitable for family gaming. Some of them I really should write up. I didn't write as much as I wanted to this year. Some of these titles are incredibly fantastic games, though some of them also are ready for the trade pile.

Soon I will talk about my personal gaming this year, but that will probably wait a few more days. My son and I are playing War of the Ring over the holidays, and there is normally some gaming going on at our house on New Year's Eve.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

No, not in a board game, but in life. I should have posted my 2013 gift guide weeks ago, but life and my new job have conspired against me. So, for 2013, it just isn't going to happen. Check out my other guides from previous years; all of those games should be available still.

In the meantime, here a couplefrom other portions of the boardgaming world:

Board Game Geek (BGG): This site is the definitive boardgaming database and community. I wrote about it in 2011, and I am still on it at least once a day for at least a few moments. While every community has a few of those guys, BGG is an amazingly large and friendly community on the whole. I once asked for help identifying the missing tile from a game I bought used. Some one offered to help, just out the goodness of his heart. I photographed all the tiles I had, and sent them to him. He came back with a photo of the missing tile. The fun part: he was from the Ukraine! Wait, it gets better. I sent the picture to the publisher, Rio Grande Games, and the owner (also part of the BGG community) sent me a replacement for the cost of mailing it. These are great people. BGG's gift guide can be found here. The list is aimed at casual gamers, not hobbyists.

The Board Game Family: My friend Trent Howell runs this site, and has published his gift guide for 2013. Trent looks at games from a family perspective. He has several kids, from elementary school to high school, and plays the spectrum. His gift guide is here.

These are two I trust, so I feel okay about missing this year. I will do better next year.